


Processing

by KnightBat



Category: Drowtales: Moonless Age
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/F, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23490721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightBat/pseuds/KnightBat
Summary: Koil’dorath deals with the aftermath of Laele’aell’s death.
Relationships: Koil’dorath Nori’fu Val’Sarghress/Laele’aell Val’Sarghress
Kudos: 4





	Processing

**Author's Note:**

> I was hoping to post something before the last chapter of Moonless Age was done, and this was the first thing I finished. It’s not very good, but I hope you like it! Feel free to tell me what you think!

Thud. Thud. Thud. In that moment there was nothing more to Koil’dorath. Just the sound of her hands hitting the pads, her punched landing rhythmically. The soft wack ofthe pads hitting her fists again and again. It was trance-like, she didn’t have to think about strategy, or war, or her family, for now. For now she would just have this. 

“Commander... Commander…” The official’s voice pierced through the fog of her mind. 

“Yes?” Koil’dorath turned away from her sparring partner and followed the official’s gestures for her to follow. She hated all this diplomatic wolfshit. It was such a waste of time. She never wanted to be caught up in it like Quain’tana. This was what she wanted, the battlefield and nothing else, just killing those goddess-forsaken Sharon. She internally shrugged and started to unwrap her hands, wondering why this message was so secretive. 

“So,” The court official said when they were safely out of earshot of any living soul. “I bring bad news from the Sarghress.”

From the Official’s face and secretive attitude Koil’dorath could guess what had happened. He spoke with a hushed tone used when someone had died. It was a sound Koil had become very used to over her years as a commander. “Was it Dev’ess Rosof?” She asked, worried that his condition had worsened while she was away. She wasn’t sure she could survive with one less cool headed Sarghress. 

“No, it’s commander Laele'aell.” The words hit Koil’dorath like a punch to the guts, everything going fuzzy around her as the news sank in. The official droned on, something terribly official about tainting, and exorcism, demons or something along those lines. Her head was ringing, unable to really understand any other sound, but unwilling to show how disoriented she felt. 

_“Do you hate me?” Came the scream from behind her. Koil turned to face Laele'aell, glaring. Laele just continued her rant. “Do you not love me? It seems you never return my affection, and you leave now!” Koil took her in, her hair coming out of her braid, the same one she always had in. Her face was red, with tears in her eyes. It seemed so odd, the leader of the legion crying._

Laele'aell’s pleas melded with the announcement of her death in Koil’s head as she rode back to the fortress. There was much to do in the wake of a leader’s death, let alone the heir’s, as the official had been sure to tell her. As such, they needed her back as soon as possible, and despite being a day away she rode as fast as she could, with as little breaks as possible. It was late when she got back to the fortress, but there was no time to wait, she was quickly swept into the throne room.

To call the meeting a madhouse was an insult to the insane. Everyone seems frantic and on edge. Koil couldn’t bring up the energy to care, she just nodded a greeting to her mother and found her spot. 

Then Quain’tana entered. Drunk. Dammit. Koil knew this would be a shitshow. And it was. Or so Koil assumed based on the snippits she managed to pick up while staring at the floor, and her previous knowledge that several Dev'esses were already frustrated with Quain. Everyones’ favorite heir dying, or turning into a summon or whatever had actually happened wasn’t helping the matter at all. Of course, the uncertainty of it all wasn’t helping. Demons taking down someone, even someone as skilled as Laele'aell was to be expected, but was still disconcerting. 

“Is that good with you?” Quain’tana asked, slurring her words slightly. Koil’dorath knew this had been brought up before, her becoming heir should Laele’aell die, but it wasn’t ever expected to happen. Certainly not by Koil herself.

“Uh huh” Koil nodded forgoing any formalities, not really sure if it was. She didn’t want to be heir, but realistically what were the other options? Kel’noz was male, and as such wouldn’t be accepted by all. Mel’arch was tiktikki-shit insane, to be blunt. From what she had heard, Quain considered the newly adopted girl a failure. She saw a slight frame slink out of the room. She should be in school now, right? Koil’dorath questioned. Who knows? Koil couldn’t be arsed to care. Probably some bereavement leave. 

Koil’dorath turned to face her mother who looked… not happy persay, but there was an... interesting gleam behind her eyes. 

_“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Laele'aell smiled at Koil’dorath, standing on the corner of the training mate. “Dinner, just us two!”_

__

__

_“A date.” Koil’dorath said. “You’re asking me on a date.”_

_“Well... '' Laele stammered, her cocky smile disappearing for a second as she scrambled to find the best answer. But she was half-Sullissin’rune afterall and quickly recovered from Koil’dorath’s blunt comment. “If that’s what you want to call it, then yes.”_

_Koil’dorath had some reservations. “We’re both commanders. It won’t look good in our troops eyes. It may lead to gossip or reports of favoritism.”_

_Laele'aell countered quickly. “First, no one cared about your parents being together, and I know it’s not the same but it’s close.” She said, shutting down Koil’dorath’s rebuttal. “Second, it’s probably best we don’t tell anyone anyway. Our Mothers won’t like it.”_

_Koil groaned internally, unfortunately reminded that her Mother was growing more displeased and antagonistic to Quain’tana with the day. On her part, Quain wasn’t doing much to put any of her Dev'esses’ minds at ease, let alone the most bluntly outspoken one. “Don’t get me started on those two…”_

_“How about I get you started, over dinner?” Laele'aell quipped._

_Koil couldn't help but smile at that, and Laele’s two-toned eyes glimmered at her acceptance._

Koil dropped her helmet on the floor, and slumped into her bed, finally feeling something. 

“Well exhaustion is better than nothing,” she thought as she peeled off her armour and laid down. She was so tired. It had been so long since she felt this bad, her mind unable to quiet. She rolled over a good few times in her bed, unable to get comfortable, although it was less about her bones being sore after a day of riding and more about the buzzing in her head that just would not stop. She glanced over in the dark, facing the door.

_The door burst open, as Koil blinked in the burst of light._

__

__

_“Hey Baby!” Laele'aell said, kicking the door shut behind her and marching over to the bed._

_“Baby? Really?” Koil’dorath asked, grabbing her waist and pulling her on top of her. Laele forged an answer, opting to kiss Koil instead._

_They laid there for hours, in the dark. Koil was just drifting off to sleep, her eyes heavy when she was woken by Laele’s voice. “I love you.”_

_“I love you too.” Koil responded, kissing her nose lightly._

_Laele continued, seeming caught up in her thoughts. “And I just want to say, even when we are no longer together, that I loved you now, and that means so much to me. And though we may move on, this is still a really special time for me, and thank you for everything.”_

_Koil’dorath put her arm around Laele. “I know. I love you too.” And Laele closed her eyes, seemingly satisfied with her answer._


End file.
